Finicky Felines And Smoochin' Pooches

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How Much Should My Dog Weigh? Find Their Healthy Weight

How Much Should My Dog Weigh? Find Their Healthy Weight A scale can tell you how heavy your dog is, but it cannot tell you whether that weight is healthy. If you’re asking, "how much should my dog weigh?" the answer depends on breed, body frame, age, sex, muscle, and daily activity. A breed-standard weight is a reference used by kennel clubs. A healthy dog weight is the range that suits your individual dog. A body condition score shows whether that weight comes with too much fat, too little fat, or a healthy amount. This guide explains how to estimate your dog’s ideal weight, use a dog weight chart with care, check for signs of weight gain or loss, and know when your veterinarian should assess your dog. Your Dog’s Ideal Weight Depends on More Than Breed Breed information can give you a starting point, but it cannot set one perfect number for every dog. Two healthy dogs from the same breed may have different weights because their height, bones, muscle, and activity leve...

Unusual Dog and Cat Breeds: Choose a Distinctive Pet That Fits Your Home

Unusual Dog and Cat Breeds: Choose a Distinctive Pet That Fits Your Home A hairless Xoloitzcuintli, a corded Bergamasco Sheepdog, a curly LaPerm, and a werewolf-like Lykoi cat can all stop people in their tracks. These unusual dog and cat breeds stand out through their coats, body shapes, history, instincts, or limited availability. An unusual appearance does not always mean a breed is rare, exotic, or hard to care for. This guide covers origins, personality, grooming, health needs, and household fit so you can look beyond striking photos. Unusual Dog Breeds With Extraordinary Physical Traits Some rare dog breeds developed unusual traits for a clear purpose. Others carry old genetic features that became part of their breed standard. Their appearance can be appealing, but it also may bring extra care. Xoloitzcuintli: An Ancient Hairless Dog The Xoloitzcuintli comes from Mexico and has roots reaching back many centuries. It has hairless and coated varieties, and the American Kennel...

Recalled Northwest Naturals Pet Food: Check Frozen Raw Chicken Packages Safely

Recalled Northwest Naturals Pet Food: Check Frozen Raw Chicken Packages Safely Recalled Northwest Naturals pet food may be sitting in freezers after affected frozen raw chicken recipes reached retail stores nationwide. Before feeding any Northwest Naturals raw dog food, compare the product name, package size, lot code, best-by date, and UPC. Check household freezers, secondary storage bins, and opened packages. If a label matches the recall, stop feeding the food and follow instructions from Northwest Naturals, the retailer, or government health officials. The recalled Northwest Naturals products can be identified by five label details The Northwest Naturals recall covers two sizes of its frozen Raw Chicken Recipe. The products were distributed to retail stores nationwide, so owners should check packages purchased from local pet stores, larger retailers, and independent shops. Product names and package sizes included in the recall The recalled product name is Northwest Natu...

How to Be a Smart Prepper for Your Pets and Evacuate Safely

How to Be a Smart Prepper for Your Pets and Evacuate Safely A frightened pet can bolt through an open door in seconds. During a flood, wildfire, storm, or power outage, your animal depends on you for food, water, shelter, medical care, identification, and transport. Learning how to be a smart prepper for your pets means making a calm, practical plan before trouble starts. Good preparation covers household pets, service animals, and livestock when needed. FEMA, the American Red Cross, and Ready.gov all stress planning for animals before an emergency, since shelters and hotels may not accept every species. Prepare a Smart Emergency Plan for Your Pets Identify local risks and your pet's needs Start with emergencies most likely to affect your area. Check local emergency management websites for alerts about hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes, winter storms, earthquakes, extreme heat, power outages, and hazardous-material incidents. Your pet's needs depend on more than species....

Surprising Things About Cats You May Be Unaware Of That Help You Read Their Behavior

Surprising Things About Cats You May Be Unaware Of That Help You Read Their Behavior Cats often seem mysterious because they rarely announce their feelings. Instead, their ears, tails, eyes, posture, scent, and sounds work together. These surprising things about cats can explain why a pet meows at dinner, blinks slowly, knocks over a glass, or races through the house at midnight. Cats Communicate Far More Than Most People Realize A cat's meow is mainly directed at humans Adult cats use meowing far more with people than with other adult cats. Cat-to-cat communication relies more on scent, posture, hissing, growling, and other physical signals. A meow may mean hunger, greeting, stress, discomfort, or a request for attention. Each cat develops its own vocal habits. People often respond to certain sounds, so cats repeat the ones that get results. A sudden rise in meowing, a changed tone, or nighttime crying deserves attention, especially in older cats. Slow blinking can signal trust ...

Do Dogs and Cats Dream? How to Read Sleep Movements Safely

Do Dogs and Cats Dream? How to Read Sleep Movements Safely A sleeping dog may paddle its paws across the bed, while a cat chirps, flicks its tail, or twitches its whiskers. Do dogs and cats dream, or are these movements only random muscle activity? Researchers cannot ask pets what they saw while asleep, but brain studies and sleep behavior offer strong clues. Dogs and cats appear to dream during REM sleep, often replaying familiar experiences. Most sleep movements are normal, though some signs need veterinary attention. Do Dogs and Cats Dream? Sleep Science Points to Yes Brain activity gives researchers clues about animal dreams Dreaming is most closely linked with rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. During REM, the brain shows active patterns on an electroencephalogram (EEG), while most large muscles become less active. EEG studies show that dogs and cats pass through both non-REM and REM sleep. Their sleep patterns share key traits with human sleep. These findings support t...